Animal Free Criteria

To call a product vegan the manufacture and development of the product, and where applicable its ingredients, must not involve, or have involved, the use of any animal product, by-product or derivative. Some products may contain E numbers or other ingredients which are not obviously of animal origin. This guide should help you spot the hidden animal product or by-product.

Such as:

Animal-derived additives

E120

cochineal

E542

edible bone phosphate

E631

sodium 5'- inosinate

E908

beeswax

E904

shellac

? Possibly animal-derived

• E101
  riboflavin, lactoflavin, vitamin B2
  E101(a)
  riboflavin 5'-phosphate
  E153
  (believed animal free version only may be used in food) carbon black, vegetable carbon
  E161(b)
  lutein
  E161(g)
  canthaxanthin
  E236
  formic acid
  E237
  sodium formate
  E238
  calcium formate
  E270
  lactic acid
  E322
  lecithin
  E325
  sodium lactate
  E326
  potassium lactate
  E327
  calcium lactate
  E422
  glycerol (glycerine)
  E430
  (believed to be no longer permitted in food) polyoxyethyene (8) stearate, polyoxyl (8) stearate
  E431
  polyoxyethelene (40) stearate, polyoxyl (40) stearate
  E432
  polyoxethylene sorbitan monolaurate, polysorbate 20, tween 20
  E433
  polyoxeyethylene sorbitan mono-oleate, polysorbate 80, tween 80
  E434
  polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopalmitate, polysorbate 40, tween 40
  E435
  polyoxeyethylene sorbitan monostearate, polysorbate 60, tween 60
  E436
  Polyoxeyethylene sorbitan tristearate, polysorbate 65, tween 65
  E470(a)
  sodium, potassium and calcium salts of fatty acids
  E470(b)
  magnesium salts of fatty acids
  E471
  glycerides of fatty acids, glyceryl monostearate, glyceryl distearate
  E472(a)
  acetic acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids, acetoglycerides, glycerol esters
  E472(b)
  lactic acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids, lactylated glycerides, lactoglycerides
  E472(c)
  citric acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids
  E472(e)
  tartaric acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids
  E472(e)
  mono and diacetyltartaric acid esters of glycerides of fatty acids
  E472(f)
  mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids
  E473
  sucrose esters of fatty acids
  E474
  sucroglycerides
  E475
  polyglycerol esters of fatty acids
  E476
  polyglycerol esters of polycondensed fatty acids of castor oil, polyglycerol polyricinoleate; - polyglycerol esters of dimerized fatty acids of soya bean oil
  E477
  propylene glycol esters of fatty acids; propane- 1,2-diol esters of fatty acids
  E478
  lactylated fatty acid esters of glycerol and propane- 1,2 -diol
  E479(b)
  thermally oxidized soya bean oil interacted with mono- and di- glycerizes of fatty acids
  E481
  sodium stearoyl -2-lactylate
  E482
  calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate
  E483
  stearyl tartrate
  E491
  sorbitan monostearate
  E492
  sorbitan tristearate, span 65
  E493
  sorbitan monolaurate, span 20
  E494
  sorbitan mono-oleate, span 80
  E495
  sorbitan monopalmitate, span 40
  E570
  fatty acids (including myristic, stearic, palmitic and oleic), butyl stearate
  E572
  magnesium salts of fatty acids (including magnesium stearate); - calcium stearate
  E585
  ferrous lactate
  E627
  guanisine 5' -disodium phosphate, sodium guanylate, disodium guanylate
  E635
  sodium 5' -ridonucleotide
  E640
  glycine and its sodium salts
  E920
  L-cysteine hydrochloride
  E1518
  glyceryl mopno-, di- and tri- acetate (triacetin)

  calcium hepatonate
  

  calcium phytate
  

  diacetin
  

  glyceryl
  

  leucine
  

  monoacetin
  

  oxystearin
  and unspecific flavourings

  Animal Fibres

  angora, astrakhan, cashmere, mohair, wool

  Animal Milks

  Animal Milks derivatives

  casein, caseinates, lactates, lactic acid, lactose

  Bee product
  bee pollen, bee venom, bees wax, honey, propelis, royal jelly

  Dairy products and by-products
  butter, cheese, whey and yoghurt

  Eggs albumen

  Human-derived products

  eg keratin, placenta

  Items derived directly from the slaughter of animals
  fish (including anchovies), game and their derivatives (eg. meat/fish extracts and stocks), poultry, meat

  Marine animal products
  ambergis , capiz, caviar(e), chitin, coral, fish scales, fish meal, isinglass, marine oils and extracts (eg. fish oils, shark oil (squalene or squalane), seal oil, whale oil), natural sponge, pearl roe, seal meat, shellfish, sperm oil, spermaceti wax, whale meat.

• Miscellaneous
  amniotic fluids, animal and fish glues, carmine/ carmonic acid, catgut, chamois, cochineal, crushed snails and insects, fixatives (eg. musk, civet, castoreum) hormones (eg. oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone) ivory, lanoline(e), oil of mink, parchment, placenta, silk, shellac, snake venom, some vitamins (eg. D3), urea, vellum, and any carriers, processing aids or release agents (see box below) containing/comprising substances of animal origin.

  Slaughter by-products
  animal fats (eg. dripping, lard, suet, tallow), amino acids, aspic, bone, bone charcoal, bone meal, bristles, collagen, down, dried blood, fatty acid derivatives, feathers, fur, gelatin(e), glycerin(e)/glycerol, hair, hides (leather/suede), hoof and horn meal), oleic acid, oleic oil, oleostearin, pepsin, proteins (eg. elastin, keratin, reticulin), rennet, skins, stearates, stearic acid, stearin(e).

Vegetable, mineral or plant/ mineral derived synthetic forms of the substances above are acceptable, as are microbiologically-fermented substances of plant origin.

Processing Aids- lactose is often used to fix flavour in crisps

Release Agents- may be used to prevent confectionery and baked goods adhering to manufacturing equipment